Method of manufacturing silicon carbide substrate

ABSTRACT

A method of manufacturing a silicon carbide substrate includes the steps of preparing an ingot of single crystal silicon carbide and obtaining a substrate by cutting the ingot. Then, in the step of obtaining a substrate, cutting proceeds in a direction α in which an angle β formed with respect to a &lt;11-20&gt; direction or a &lt;1-100&gt; direction of the ingot is 15°±5° in an orthogonal projection on a {0001} plane.

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.61/492,415 filed Jun. 2, 2011, which is incorporated herein in theentirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a siliconcarbide substrate and more particularly to a method of manufacturing asilicon carbide substrate capable of suppressing variation in planeorientation in a main surface.

2. Description of the Background Art

In recent years, in order to achieve a higher breakdown voltage andlower loss of a semiconductor device, use thereof in an environment athigh temperature and the like, silicon carbide has increasingly beenadopted as a material for forming a semiconductor device. Siliconcarbide is a wide band-gap semiconductor greater in band gap thansilicon conventionally widely used as a material for forming asemiconductor device. Therefore, by adopting silicon carbide as amaterial for forming a semiconductor device, a higher breakdown voltage,a lower ON resistance of a semiconductor device and the like can beachieved. In addition, a semiconductor device adopting silicon carbideas a material is also more advantageous than a semiconductor deviceadopting silicon as a material in that deterioration in itscharacteristics at the time when it is used in an environment at hightemperature is less.

A semiconductor device including silicon carbide as a material ismanufactured, for example, by forming an epitaxial growth layer on asilicon carbide substrate, fabricating a region in the epitaxial growthlayer, in which a desired impurity has been introduced, and forming anelectrode. The silicon carbide substrate is generally manufactured bycutting (slicing) a crystal (an ingot) of silicon carbide. Siliconcarbide, however, has extremely high hardness and hence cutting thereofis not easy. Therefore, a method of cutting silicon carbide crystal hasvariously been studied and various methods have been proposed (see, forexample, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2009-61528 (PTL 1)).

With a conventional method of cutting a silicon carbide crystal,however, warpage of an obtained substrate is disadvantageously great.Warpage of a substrate can be lessened by polishing or the like aftercutting. If a substrate great in warpage is planarized by polishing orthe like, however, a plane orientation of silicon carbide single crystalin a main surface of the substrate varies from place to place. Siliconcarbide single crystal has different characteristics depending on aplane orientation of a crystal. Therefore, preferably, warpage islessened in the stage of cutting a substrate such that variation inplane orientation above in the main surface of the substrate issuppressed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention was made to solve such problems and its object isto provide a method of manufacturing a silicon carbide substrate capableof suppressing variation in plane orientation in a main surface.

A method of manufacturing a silicon carbide substrate according to thepresent invention includes the steps of preparing a crystal of singlecrystal silicon carbide and obtaining a substrate by cutting thecrystal. Then, in the step of obtaining a substrate, cutting proceeds ina direction in which an angle formed with respect to a <11-20> directionor a <1-100> direction of the crystal is 15°±5° in an orthogonalprojection on a {0001} plane.

The present inventor conducted detailed studies of approaches forlessening warpage in a stage of cutting a substrate, obtained thefollowing findings, and then derived the present invention.

Namely, as described above, a silicon carbide crystal has extremely highhardness and cutting thereof is difficult. In addition, a siliconcarbide crystal has a cleavage plane, and owing to influence by thiscleavage plane, anisotropy exists in cutting difficulty. Therefore,cutting can readily be carried out by causing cutting to proceed along adirection of cleavage.

The present inventor's studies, however, clarified that such a cuttingmethod became a factor for aforementioned warpage of a substrate. Morespecifically, a crystal of hexagonal silicon carbide has two cleavagedirections of a <1-100> direction and a <11-20> direction. The <1-100>direction and the <11-20> direction form 90°. Then, in consideration ofan equivalent direction based on crystal symmetry, the cleavagedirection above appears every 30° in the {0001} plane. In addition, adegree of cleavage, that is, readiness of development of cracks, isdifferent between the <1-100> direction and the <11-20> direction.Moreover, a front surface and a back surface of a silicon carbidesubstrate, that is, one surface and the other surface opposed to eachother in a cutting region during cutting in progress, are reverse inreadiness of development of cracks between the <1-100> direction and the<11-20> direction.

Therefore, for example in a case of cutting of a crystal by wirecutting, if cutting is carried out such that cutting proceeds along oneof the cleavage directions above, a wire gradually moves in a <0001>direction because of difference in readiness of development of cracksbetween one surface and the other surface opposed to each other in thecutting region during cutting in progress. Consequently, warpage isformed in a silicon carbide substrate obtained by cutting.

In contrast, in the method of manufacturing a silicon carbide substrateaccording to the present invention, cutting proceeds in a direction inwhich an angle formed with respect to the <11-20> direction or the<1-100> direction of the crystal is 15°±5° in an orthogonal projectionon the {0001} plane. Namely, cutting proceeds in a directionsignificantly distant from a cleavage direction that appears every 30°in the {0001} plane. Therefore, influence by the cleavage directionabove is lessened and occurrence of warpage is suppressed. Consequently,even though the substrate obtained by cutting is planarized by polishingor the like, variation in plane orientation in a main surface can besuppressed. It is noted that an angle formed between a direction inwhich cutting proceeds and the <11-20> direction or the <1-100>direction refers to a more acute angle of angles formed between thedirection in which cutting proceeds and the <11-20> direction and the<1-100> direction.

Here, the direction in which cutting proceeds is most preferably such adirection that an angle formed with respect to the <11-20> direction orthe <1-100> direction of the crystal is 15° in an orthogonal projectionon the {0001} plane. A sufficient effect, however, is obtained so longas an angle formed with respect to this most preferred direction is notgreater than 5°. In order to obtain a higher effect, a direction inwhich cutting proceeds is preferably such a direction that an angleformed with respect to the <11-20> direction or the <1-100> direction ofthe crystal is 15°±3° in an orthogonal projection on the {0001} plane.

In the method of manufacturing a silicon carbide substrate above, in thestep of obtaining a substrate, cutting may proceed in a direction inwhich an angle formed with respect to the <11-20> direction or the<1-100> direction of the crystal is 15°±2° in an orthogonal projectionon the {0001} plane. Thus, warpage of a substrate obtained by cutting isfurther suppressed. Consequently, even though the substrate obtained bycutting is planarized by polishing or the like, variation in planeorientation in a main surface can further be suppressed.

In the method of manufacturing a silicon carbide substrate above, thecrystal may grow in a <0001> direction. Thus, a crystal of singlecrystal silicon carbide can efficiently be fabricated.

In the method of manufacturing a silicon carbide substrate above, thecrystal may have a diameter not smaller than 2 inches. As a crystal hasa greater diameter, influence by warpage above is greater. Therefore,the present invention capable of lessening warpage above is suitable fora case where a substrate is fabricated from a crystal having a diameternot smaller than 2 inches.

In the method of manufacturing a silicon carbide substrate above, in thestep of obtaining a substrate, the crystal above may be cut such that aratio of a diameter to a thickness of the substrate is not smaller than100. When a diameter D is greater with respect to a thickness T of thesubstrate, influence by warpage above is great. In particular, in a casewhere D/T above is not smaller than 100, variation in plane orientationin a main surface of the substrate due to occurrence of warpage above ismore likely to affect manufacturing of a semiconductor device with theuse of the substrate. Therefore, the present invention capable oflessening warpage above is particularly suitable in a case where D/Tabove is not smaller than 100.

In the method of manufacturing a silicon carbide substrate above, in thestep of obtaining a substrate, the crystal above may be cut by wirecutting.

In a case where a crystal is cut by wire cutting, warpage above isparticularly likely. Therefore, the present invention capable oflessening warpage above is particularly suitable for a case where acrystal is cut by wire cutting.

As is clear from the description above, according to the method ofmanufacturing a silicon carbide substrate of the present invention, amethod of manufacturing a silicon carbide substrate capable ofsuppressing variation in plane orientation in a main surface can beprovided.

The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of thepresent invention will become more apparent from the following detaileddescription of the present invention when taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an ingot of singlecrystal silicon carbide.

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing a method of cutting an ingot.

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing a silicon carbidesubstrate.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a shape of a main surface of a substrateobtained by such wire cutting that cutting proceeds in a direction alonga cleavage direction.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a shape of the main surface of the substrateobtained by performing such wire cutting that cutting proceeds in adirection along the cleavage direction and thereafter polishing thesurface.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a shape of the main surface of the substrateobtained by performing such wire cutting that cutting proceeds in adirection in which an angle formed with respect to the cleavagedirection is 15°.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a shape of the main surface of the substrateobtained by performing such wire cutting that cutting proceeds in adirection in which an angle formed with respect to the cleavagedirection is 15° and thereafter polishing the surface.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing relation between D/T and warpage in a casewhere a linear velocity during wire cutting is changed.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing relation between D/T and warpage in a casewhere tensile force of a wire during wire cutting is changed.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing relation between D/T and warpage in a casewhere a cutting speed during wire cutting is changed.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a shape of the main surface of thesubstrate obtained by performing such wire cutting that cutting proceedsin a direction in which an angle formed with respect to a <1-100>direction is 0°.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a shape of the main surface of thesubstrate obtained by performing such wire cutting that cutting proceedsin a direction in which an angle formed with respect to the <1-100>direction is 15°.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a shape of the main surface of thesubstrate obtained by performing such wire cutting that cutting proceedsin a direction in which an angle formed with respect to the <1-100>direction is 20°.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a shape of the main surface of thesubstrate obtained by performing such wire cutting that cutting proceedsin a direction in which an angle formed with respect to the <1-100>direction is 30°.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

An embodiment of the present invention will be described hereinafterwith reference to the drawings. It is noted that, in the drawings below,the same or corresponding elements have the same reference charactersallotted and description thereof will not be repeated. In addition, anindividual orientation, a collective orientation, an individual plane,and a collective plane are herein shown in [ ], < >, ( ) and { },respectively. Moreover, in terms of crystallography, a negative indexshould be denoted by a number with a bar “-” thereabove, however, anegative sign herein precedes a number.

Initially, a method of manufacturing a silicon carbide substrate in oneembodiment of the present invention will be described. Referring to FIG.1, in the method of manufacturing a silicon carbide substrate in thepresent embodiment, initially, the step of preparing a crystal (aningot) of single crystal silicon carbide is performed. Specifically, forexample with a sublimation method described below, an ingot of singlecrystal silicon carbide is fabricated. Namely, a seed crystal composedof single crystal silicon carbide and source material powders composedof silicon carbide are initially placed in a container composed ofgraphite. Then, silicon carbide sublimates as the source materialpowders are heated and silicon carbide is recrystallized on the seedcrystal. Here, recrystallization proceeds while a desired impurity suchas nitrogen is being introduced. Thus, an ingot 1 of single crystalsilicon carbide shown in FIG. 1 is obtained. Here, by setting adirection of growth of ingot 1 to the <0001> direction as shown in FIG.1, ingot 1 can efficiently be fabricated.

Then, the silicon carbide substrate is fabricated by cutting fabricatedingot 1. Specifically, referring to FIG. 2, initially, fabricated ingot1 in a shape of a pillar (a column) is set such that a part of a sidesurface thereof is supported by a support base 2. Then, a wire 9 comescloser to ingot 1 along a cutting direction α which is a directionperpendicular to a direction of running while the wire runs in adirection along a direction of a diameter of ingot 1, so that wire 9 andingot 1 come in contact with each other. Then, as wire 9 continues tomove along cutting direction α, ingot 1 is cut. More specifically, acutting liquid such as slurry in which single crystal diamond serving asloose abrasive grains and a cutting oil have been mixed is supplied to aregion where wire 9 composed, for example, of an alloy containing ironand nickel runs in contact with ingot 1 and wire 9 and ingot 1 come incontact with each other, and thus ingot 1 is cut. Thus, a siliconcarbide substrate 3 shown in FIG. 3 is obtained. Thereafter, a mainsurface of silicon carbide substrate 3 is planarized, for example, bypolishing, and thus silicon carbide substrate 3 in the presentembodiment is completed.

Here, referring to FIG. 2, in cutting (slicing) ingot 1 with wire 9,cutting proceeds along cutting direction α in which an angle formed withrespect to the <11-20> direction or the <1-100> direction of ingot 1 is15°±5° in an orthogonal projection on the {0001} plane. Morespecifically, for example as shown in FIG. 2, an angle β formed betweenthe <11-20> direction of ingot 1 and cutting direction α is set to15°±5°. Thus, influence on wire 9 by the cleavage direction is lessenedand occurrence of warpage of silicon carbide substrate 3 is suppressed.Consequently, even though the main surface of silicon carbide substrate3 obtained by cutting is planarized by polishing or the like, variationin plane orientation in the main surface is suppressed. In addition, avalue of angle β above is more preferably 15°±2°.

Here, in a case where ingot 1 (silicon carbide substrate 3) has adiameter not smaller than 2 inches or a case where D/T of siliconcarbide substrate 3 is not smaller than 100, warpage above tends to begreater. Therefore, the method of manufacturing silicon carbidesubstrate 3 in the present embodiment capable of lessening warpage aboveis particularly effective under such a condition.

In addition, since warpage above is more likely in cutting with wire 9which is likely to bend during cutting, the method of manufacturingsilicon carbide substrate 3 in the present embodiment capable oflessening warpage above is particularly effective for cutting ingot 1 bywire cutting.

EXAMPLES Example 1

An experiment for comparing a state of a main surface of a siliconcarbide substrate in the method of manufacturing a silicon carbidesubstrate according to the present invention with a state of a mainsurface of a conventional silicon carbide substrate was conducted. Aprocedure in the experiment is as follows.

Initially, an ingot of single crystal silicon carbide was prepared as inthe embodiment above, and the silicon carbide substrate was obtained bycarrying out such wire cutting that cutting proceeds in a directionalong the cleavage direction while the ingot is supported by supportbase 2. Then, the main surface of the silicon carbide substrate wasplanarized by polishing (the conventional example). On the other hand,in a similar procedure, the silicon carbide substrate was obtained bycarrying out such wire cutting that cutting proceeds in a direction inwhich an angle formed with respect to the cleavage direction is 15°.Then, the main surface of the silicon carbide substrate was planarizedby polishing (the example). A shape of the main surface of the siliconcarbide substrate in a state after cutting and before planarization ofthe silicon carbide substrate thus obtained and a state afterplanarization thereof was examined. FIGS. 4 to 7 show experimentalresults. It is noted that a numeric value in FIGS. 4 to 7 shows a heightfrom a reference plane.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, in a case of the cutting method in theconventional example, warpage of the surface was great and warpage wasgreat even after planarization although surface roughness was improvedby planarization. In contrast, referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, in a case ofthe cutting method in the example of the present invention, warpage ofthe surface was significantly improved at the time point of cutting andsurface roughness was improved by planarization. Thus, it was confirmedthat, according to the method of manufacturing a silicon carbidesubstrate in the present invention, occurrence of warpage was suppressedas compared with a case of adoption of the conventional cutting method,and even though the substrate is planarized by polishing or the like,variation in plane orientation in the main surface could significantlybe suppressed.

Example 2

An experiment for examining relation between a value for diameter D tothickness T (D/T) of the silicon carbide substrate in the method ofmanufacturing a silicon carbide substrate according to the presentinvention and warpage of the substrate was conducted. The experiment wasconducted in a case of change in linear velocity during wire cutting, acase of change in tensile force of the wire, and a case of change in acutting speed. FIGS. 8 to 10 show experimental results. It is notedthat, in FIGS. 8 to 10, the abscissa represents a value for D/T and theordinate represents a value for warpage (SORI). FIG. 8 showsexperimental results in a case where a linear velocity of the wire isfrom 100 m/min to 600 m/min, FIG. 9 shows a case where tensile force ofthe wire is from 15 N to 40 N, and FIG. 10 shows a case where a cuttingspeed is from 1 mm/h to 6 mm/h.

Referring to FIGS. 8 to 10, under any condition, when a value for D/T isnot smaller than 100, warpage is particularly great. Therefore, it canbe concluded that the method of manufacturing a silicon carbidesubstrate according to the present invention capable of lesseningwarpage is suitable particularly for a case where a value for D/T is notsmaller than 100.

In addition, referring to FIG. 8, warpage is lessened as a linearvelocity of the wire increases. As the linear velocity increases from100 m/min to 300 m/min, warpage is significantly lessened. On the otherhand, as the linear velocity is increased from 300 m/min to 600 m/min,however, an amount of decrease in warpage is smaller than in a case ofincrease from 100 m/min to 300 m/min. Further, when the linear velocityabove exceeds 700 m/min, the wire is more likely to slip with respect tothe ingot and slicing is less likely to proceed. Therefore, it isconsidered that the linear velocity of the wire is preferably not lessthan 300 m/min and not more than 700 m/min.

Referring further to FIG. 9, as tensile force of the wire increases,warpage is lessened. As tensile force increases from 15 N to 35 N,warpage is significantly lessened. On the other hand, as tensile forceis increased from 35 N to 40 N, however, an amount of decrease inwarpage is smaller than in a case where tensile force is increased from15 N to 35 N. When tensile force exceeds 50 N, the wire may be broken.Therefore, it is considered that tensile force of the wire is preferablynot less than 35 N and not more than 50 N.

Referring further to FIG. 10, as a cutting speed is lowered, warpage islessened. Then, as a cutting speed is lowered from 6 mm/h to 3 mm/h,warpage is significantly lessened. On the other hand, as a cutting speedis lowered from 3 mm/h to 1 mm/h, however, an amount of decrease inwarpage is smaller than in a case where a cutting speed is lowered from6 mm/h to 3 mm/h. In addition, when a cutting speed is lower than 1mm/h, the wire slicked by such a cutting liquid as slurry runs over theingot substantially without advancing, which leads to a great cuttingwidth and resultant lower yield. Therefore, it is considered that acutting speed is preferably not lower than 1 mm/h and not higher than 3mm/h.

Example 3

An experiment for examining influence on warpage (SORI) of an obtainedsubstrate by an angle formed between a direction in which cuttingproceeds and the cleavage direction in an orthogonal projection on the{0001} plane in obtaining a substrate by cutting an ingot of singlecrystal silicon carbide was conducted.

Initially, as in the embodiment above, an ingot of single crystalsilicon carbide was prepared, and a silicon carbide substrate wasobtained by slicing the ingot such that an angle formed with respect tothe <1-100> direction representing the cleavage direction was from 0° to30° in the orthogonal projection on the {0001} plane while the ingot wassupported on support base 2. Then, SORI of the main surface of theobtained substrate was measured. Table 1 shows measurement results. Inaddition, FIGS. 11 to 14 each show a shape of the main surface of theobtained substrate.

TABLE 1 Angle Between Direction in Which Cutting Proceeds and <1-100>Direction (°) 0 10 13 15 17 20 30 SORI (μm) 39 26 10 8 11 18 28

Referring to Table 1 and FIGS. 11 to 14, as the angle formed between thedirection in which cutting proceeds and the <1-100> directionrepresenting the cleavage direction is closer to 15°, a value for SORIof the substrate main surface is smaller. Then, it is confirmed that avalue for SORI of the substrate main surface can effectively be loweredby setting the angle formed between the direction in which cuttingproceeds and the <1-100> direction to 15°±5°. In addition, it was foundthat a value for SORI of the substrate main surface could further belowered by setting the angle formed between the direction in whichcutting proceeds and the <1-100> direction to 15°±2°.

The method of manufacturing a silicon carbide substrate according to thepresent invention is particularly advantageously applicable tomanufacturing of a silicon carbide substrate required to achievesuppressed variation in plane orientation in a main surface.

Although the present invention has been described and illustrated indetail, it is clearly understood that the same is by way of illustrationand example only and is not to be taken by way of limitation, the scopeof the present invention being interpreted by the terms of the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of manufacturing a silicon carbidesubstrate, comprising the steps of: preparing a crystal of singlecrystal silicon carbide having a cleavage direction that appears every30 degrees in an orthogonal projection on a {0001} plane; and obtaininga substrate by cutting said crystal, wherein in said step of obtaining asubstrate, the cutting of said crystal proceeds in a direction in whichan angle formed with respect to a <11-20> direction or a <1-100>direction of said crystal is 15°±5° in the orthogonal projection on the{0001} plane, and in said step of obtaining a substrate, said crystal iscut such that a ratio of a diameter to a thickness of said substrate isnot smaller than
 100. 2. The method of manufacturing a silicon carbidesubstrate according to claim 1, wherein in said step of obtaining asubstrate, cutting proceeds in a direction in which an angle formed withrespect to the <11-20> direction or the <1-100> direction of saidcrystal is 15°±2° in an orthogonal projection on a {0001} plane.
 3. Themethod of manufacturing a silicon carbide substrate according to claim1, wherein said crystal grows in a <0001> direction.
 4. The method ofmanufacturing a silicon carbide substrate according to claim 1, whereinsaid crystal has a diameter not smaller than 2 inches.
 5. The method ofmanufacturing a silicon carbide substrate according to claim 1, whereinin said step of obtaining a substrate, said crystal is cut by wirecutting.
 6. The method of manufacturing a silicon carbide substrateaccording to claim 5, wherein a feed speed of said wire is not less than300 m/min and not more than 700 m/min.
 7. The method of manufacturing asilicon carbide substrate according to claim 5, wherein a tensile forceof said wire is not less than 35 N and not more than 50 N.
 8. The methodof manufacturing a silicon carbide substrate according to claim 1,wherein a cutting speed of said crystal is not less than 1 mm/h and notmore than 3 mm/h.